LIVE: India records 3,824 Covid cases, biggest month rise in 12 mnths

Catch all the latest updates from across the globe here

6:50 PM

Developed world will slow down, emerging markets will grow: Indian G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant

India will play a lead role during its G20 presidency in redefining and reshaping the world which is facing multiple challenges, Indian Sherpa Amitabh Kant said here on Sunday.

 

Talking about the trend in the past 10 years, Kant told PTI that the developed world would slow down and emerging markets would grow. Resources should therefore flow from the former to the latter so that emerging markets improve, he said.

 

The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of global GDP, over 75 per cent of global trade, and about two-thirds of the world's population.

6:28 PM

Covid-19: Elderly people are getting more affected, says Dr Subhash Giri

6:00 PM

Remain cautious and wear mask, focus should be on clinical cases: Experts on Covid surge in Delhi

As Delhi witnesses a sudden spurt in Covid cases, experts have stressed that there is no need to panic over the absolute numbers and the focus should be on protecting the vulnerable population, especially those who are immunocompromised or have comorbidities.

They have also advised people to remain cautious by masking up and avoiding public gatherings.

Delhi recorded 416 fresh Covid cases on Saturday, the highest in over seven months, with a positivity rate of 14.37 per cent, according to data shared by the city health department. While the government did not issue a bulletin on Friday, the numbers on Thursday stood at 295 while the positivity rate was at 12.48 per cent.

5:44 PM

Some members sitting in UNSC aren't keen that India should also be a member of UNSC: S Jaishankar

5:06 PM

Govt preparing law for adventure tourism safety: Official

The government is coming out with a law for adventure tourism safety which will have provisions for constitution of state level safety bodies, penalties for violations and a requisite insurance scheme, a senior official said on Sunday.

The draft model law -- Adventure Tourism (Monitoring and Regulation Act) -- has been distributed to states and feedbacks have been filed by six states so far, the tourism ministry official said.

The states include Punjab, Uttarakhand and Tripura, he said. "Tourism is a state subject but through this legislation the Centre wants to give direction to the states to follow safety practices," he said.

4:48 PM

Finmin notifies GST amnesty scheme for non-filers, small businesses

The government has notified amnesty scheme for small businesses, non-filers of final returns, and taxpayers whose Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration has been cancelled.

According to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) notification, they can apply for revocation of cancelled registration by June 30, after paying due taxes, interest and penalty, CBIC said in a notification.

The move follows the meeting by the GST Council in February, when it recommended that for GST taxpayers whose registration has been cancelled for non-filing of returns be given amnesty by allowing them to file applications for revocation within a specified date.

4:24 PM

Govt may consider 0.3% fee to maintain UPI payment system & ensure financial viability: Report

The government may consider a 0.3 per cent uniform digital payment facilitation fee to fund the infrastructure required for such transactions and also to ensure financial viability of the UPI payment system, suggested a study by IIT Bombay.

The facilitation fee of 0.3 per cent can generate around Rs 5,000 crore in 2023-24, said the study titled 'Charges for PPI-based UPI payments--The Deception'.

The study, which analyses the impact of the decision of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to introduce interchange fee on payments through mobile wallets, argued that the payments received by merchants should remain 'unpolluted' whether they are from UPI directly or through prepaid e-wallets.

4:05 PM

Nepal seeks to sign 25-year electricity deal with India during PM Prachanda's visit: Report

Nepal is keen to sign a 25-year agreement with India on selling its surplus power to the neighbouring country during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda's expected visit to New Delhi.

Though the official date of Prachanda's visit to India is yet to be announced, the Kathmandu Post newspaper, quoting Nepali officials, reported on Sunday that the prime minister is likely to travel to New Delhi after the second week of April.

However, the two sides have yet to announce the dates, it said.

3:58 PM

Mild tremor in MP; no casualty

A mild tremor of 3.6 magnitude was experienced in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district on Sunday, officials said.

There was no report of any casualty or property damage, they said.

The tremor was recorded by the National Centre for Seismology at 11 am, with its epicentre near Jabalpur at a depth of 23 kilometres, India Meteorological Centre (Jabalpur) in-charge Biju J Joseph told PTI.

The seismic activity was experienced in Jabalpur and nearby Umaria district, he said.

3:43 PM

BJP's doors are shut for JDU forever: Amit Shah at Bihar rally

3:29 PM

Nitish Kumar (Bihar CM) won't become Prime Minister: Amit Shah

3:19 PM

Petrol, diesel sales rise as agri season picks up

India's fuel demand rose in March as a pick-up in agriculture activity helped reverse a slowdown that was witnessed in the first half of the month, preliminary industry data showed on Sunday.

Fuel sales soared to the highest levels in February on the back of robust demand from the agriculture sector as well as transport picking up after the winter lull. But a seasonal slowdown kicked in during the first half of March.

However, there was a pick-up in the second half, which helped sales rise even month-on-month despite the high base of February. Petrol sales rose 5.1 per cent to 2.65 million tonne in March when compared with the same period of last year. Sales were up 3.4 per cent month-on-month, the data showed.

2:21 PM

Uttarakhand: 22 people injured after bus falls into ditch on Mussoorie-Dehradun road

As many as 22 people, including the bus driver, were injured when a bus fell into a ditch on the Mussoorie-Dehradhun road on Sunday, said Police.

According to the Mussoorie police, "With the help of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), all the injured have been rescued and admitted to the hospital for treatment."

2:11 PM

NCLAT order in Android matter will resonate globally on abuse of dominance

Appellate tribunal NCLAT's ruling in the Google matter will open the market for "free innovation" and will resonate as part of the global theme on abuse of dominance, Additional Solicitor General N Venkataraman has said.

 

Venkataraman, who led the legal battle on behalf of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) against Google in the Android matter, also asserted that the six directions of the regulator that were upheld by the NCLAT cover almost 99 per cent of the remedies recommended to address the unfair business ways.

1:53 PM

J&K budget utilisation 20% less in 2021-22: CAG

The overall utilisation of budget in Jammu and Kashmir was 20 per cent less than the total amount of Rs 1.39 lakh crore grants and appropriations during the year 2021-22, Comptroller and Auditor General of India has said, urging the government to be "more realistic" in its budgetary assumptions.

It also criticised the failure of the concerned departments to surrender the grants and appropriations to the finance department in anticipation of savings which stood at Rs 28,504.50 crore.